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BBC interview with Saddam ally condemned
28 March 2003
ANDREW SELOUS CRITICISED THE BBC IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FOR BROADCASTING AN INTERVIEW WITH A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN’S BA’ATH PARTY ON THE ‘TODAY’ PROGRAMME ON THURSDAY.
Andrew Selous said, “It seems strange that while our armed forces are trying to prevent Saddam’s henchmen from taking to the airwaves in Iraq, we are letting them broadcast in the UK.
The IRA were prevented from giving live interviews while they took up arms against the UK, so surely this should apply to Saddam’s spokesman during the War”.
Hansard reads
Andrew Selous (South-West Bedfordshire): Did the Parliamentary Secretary hear this morning's Radio 4 interview with a senior Ba'ath party official? Will he take the matter up with his colleagues at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport? Having that sort of Iraqi propaganda on the BBC is very upsetting for the families of servicemen and women serving in the Gulf at the moment, but it is also extremely inappropriate in a time of war. We would not have allowed Goebbels this opportunity, so why are we changing policy now?
Mr. Bradshaw: In contrast to the Iraqis, we live in a free country. I would not approve of any form of censorship, but broadcasters have the responsibility to use their professionalism and ensure balance. I recognise that there is much concern about some of the media coverage of the current conflict. As a former broadcaster myself, I know that broadcasters will take their professionalism extremely seriously. However, the hon. Gentleman may have a point in connection with the outrageous broadcasting by al-Jazeera of pictures of captured and dead British soldiers. That is intolerable, and against all the international broadcasting conventions.
ENDS
